cc.fireice-第47部分

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　Where　were　the　captain　and　pilot　and　the　other　scientist　during　all　of　this？〃　Austin　asked。
　
　〃In　the　control　room。〃
　〃Did　the　captain　say　anything　more？〃
　〃Yes；　sir。　He　said　to　send　coffee　and　sandwiches　forward。〃
　〃What　was　the　support　ship　doing　at　this　time？〃
　〃We　heard　them　calling　on　the　radio　until　Pulaski　ordered　all　munications　shut　down。　I　assume　they　tracked　us　until　we　were　out　of　range。〃
　〃How　long　did　you　travel　underwater？〃　Austin　asked。
　

　〃A　matter　of　hours。　When　we　surfaced；　it　was　as　dark　as　Hades。　Not　a　light　to　be　seen　anywhere。　Then　armed　men　came　down　the　hatch　into　the　NR…1。〃
　〃Russians？〃
　〃We　couldn't　tell；　although　1　think　they　were　carrying　AK…47s。　They　were　wearing　cami　and　acted　like　professional　soldiers。　Not　like　those　jerks　on　horseback　that　you　saved　us　from。　They　kept　their　mouths　shut。　Pulaski　did　all　the　talking。　He　told　us　to　get　out　of　the　NR…1。　We　climbed　out　onto　the　deck　of　a　big　sub。〃
　〃Any　idea　on　the　sub's　length？〃　Gunn　said。
　
　Kreisman　looked　around　the　room。　〃Anyone　want　to　take　a　stab　at　a　guess？〃
　
　Another　seaman　spoke　up。　〃I　served　on　a　boomer　when　I　first　joined　the　navy。　Judging　from　its　beam；　around　thirty　feet；　I'd　estimate　this　baby　was　as　long　as　a　Los　Angeles　class。　About　three　hundred　sixty　feet。〃
　〃The　NR…1　is　only　one　hundred　fifty　feet　long。　They　could　easily　piggyback　you　with　more　than　two　hundred　feet　to　spare；〃　Austin　said。
　
　The　sailor　nodded。　〃That　sub　was　bigger　than　our　support　vessel。〃
　
　Austin　glanced　around　the　room。　〃Anyone　see　markings？〃
　
　Nobody　responded。　〃Too　dark　and　no　moon；〃　Kreisman　explained。
　
　〃So　they　moved　you　into　the　big　sub？〃
　〃Correct。　They　locked　us　in　a　bunk　room。　Not　enough　beds　for　all　of　us；　so　we　took　turns　sleeping。　They　brought　food　from　time　to　time。　We　submerged　for　twenty…four　hours。　When　we　surfaced　again；　it　was　night。　The　ocean　was　different　from　the　Aegean。　The　air　didn't　have　the　saltiness　we'd　been　used　to。　More　like　one　of　the　Great　Lakes。〃
　〃Tell　them　about　the　ship　sounds　we　heard　before　that；〃　one　of　the　submariners　said。
　
　〃Sorry；　I　forgot　about　that。　It　was　a　while　before　we　surfaced。　The　bunk　room　was　as　quiet　as　a　grave。　Some　of　the　guys　in　the　bunks　said　they　could　hear　the　sound　of　ship　engines　through　the　bulkheads。　We　all　put　our　ears　up　to　the　hull　and　listened。　It　was　true。〃
　〃You　were　in　an　area　of　heavy　ship　traffic？〃
　〃That's　what　we　figured。　Eventually；　the　noise　died　out。　Several　hours　later；　we　came　up　next　to　a　surface　ship。　It　must　have　been　waiting　for　us。　They　hustled　us　onto　the　ship　and　into　another　bunk　room。　That　was　our　home　sweet　home　for　three　days。〃
　〃They　kept　you　there　all　that　time？〃　Gunn　said。
　
　〃Hell；　no！　Early　the　next　morning；　we　were　assembled　on　the　deck。　Guys　with　guns　kept　us　covered；　and　the　big　sub　was　nowhere　to　be　seen。　Pulaski　was　there。　He　gave　us　that　creepy　smile　of　his。　'Good　morning；　gentlemen；'　〃　Kreisman　imitated　Pulaski's　accent。　〃　'In　return　for　this　delightful　cruise；　we　are　going　to　ask　that　you　do　a　little　job　for　us。'　He　said　we　would　be　salvaging　material　from　an　old　ship。　Pulaski　and　another　thug　were　going　with　us。　So　we　piled　into　the　NR…1　alongside　the　ship；　which　was　acting　as　our　tender；　and　down　we　went。〃
　〃How　deep？〃
　〃Four　hundred　feet　plus。　No　big　deal　for　the　NR…1。　We　noticed　the　water　buoyancy　was　different。　We　needed　less　ballast　to　bring　us　down。　The　sea　bottom　was　mud　for　the　most　part；　sloping　before　it　abruptly　dropped　off　into　the　deep。　The　wreck　sat　on　the　bank　of　an　underwater　canyon　or　valley　that　ran　at　right　angles　to　the　cliff　face。〃
　〃Was　there　a　name　on　the　ship's　hull？〃
　〃None　that　we　could　see。　The　vessel　was　covered　with　seaweed　and　barnacles。　The　bow　was　more　up…and…down　than　raked；　like　those　pictures　you　see　of　the　Titanic。〃　He　used　his　hand　to　demonstrate。
　
　〃What　was　its　position　on　the　bottom？〃
　〃The　ship　sat　on　the　slope；　leaning　over　at　a　sharp　angle。　It　looked　as　if　a　good　shove　would　tip　it　over。　We　saw　a　big　hole　in　the　starboard　side。〃
　〃Could　you　see　inside　the　hole？〃
　〃It　was　filled　in　with　rubble。　We　only　stayed　there　a　minute。　They　were　more　interested　in　the　other　side。　They　had　fitted　out　the　manipulator　arm　with　a　cutting　torch。　We　touched　down　on　the　slanting　deck。　It　was　pretty　dicey　putting　the　sub　down　at　an　angle。　We　had　the　feeling　the　ship　could　roll　over　at　any　time。　Then　they　told　us　to　cut　a　hole　in　the　superstructure。〃
　〃Not　in　the　hold？〃　Austin　said　with　surprise。　〃That's　where　the　cargo　would　be。〃
　〃You'd　think　so；　but　we　weren't　in　a　position　to　argue。　We　made　an　opening　around　ten　by　ten　feet。　It　wasn't　too　hard　…　the　metal　was　old　and　rusted。　We　had　to　be　careful；　though。　It　was　like　a　surgical　operation。　One　nudge　and　the　ship　would　drop　off　into　the　deep；　we　were　all　aware　of　that。　We　could　see　the　old　bunks　and　mattresses。　Pulaski　and　his　buddy　got　real　agitated。　They　started　to　jabber　over　some　diagrams　of　the　wreck　that　they　had　with　them。〃
　〃In　Russian。〃
　〃Sounded　like　it。　Apparently；　they'd　had　us　cut　through　the　wrong　spot。　We　tried　two　more　times　before　they　found　what　they　wanted。　It　was　a　fairly　big　cabin　filled　with　metal　boxes　the　size　of　those　old　steamer　trunks　you　see　in　antique　shops。〃
　〃How　many　boxes？〃
　〃About　a　dozen；　jumbled　every　which　way。　Pulaski　told　us　to　grab　them　with　the　NR…1's　manipulator　arm。　We　had　a　tough　time　moving　them。　They　were　obviously　heavy　and　strained　the　manipulator　to　capacity。　We　pulled　the　boxes　to　the　opening　and　called　the　surface　ship　and　told　them　to　lower　some　lines　with　hooks　on　the　ends　of　them。　We　attached　the　lines；　stood　off　and　let　the　ship　winch　the　stuff　up　with　its　superior　lifting　power。〃
　
　Austin；　who　had　been　trained　in　deepwater　salvage；　nodded。　〃Exactly　the　way　I　would　have　handled　it。〃
　〃Captain　Logan's　idea。〃　Kreisman　smirked　with　embarrassment。　〃We　were　like　the　British　soldiers　in　that　movie；　Bridge　on　the　River　Kwai。　We　really　got　into　it。　Professional　pride；　I　guess。〃
　〃Don't　feel　bad。　They　probably　would　have　killed　you　if　you　hadn't　done　the　job。〃
　〃That's　what　the　captain　said。　We　worked　round…the…clock　shifts。　There　were　a　few　of　the　hitches　you'd　expect　with　a　job　that　plicated；　but　we　got　all　the　stuff　they　wanted　off　the　ship。〃
　〃Did　you　see　what　was　in　the　steamer　trunks？〃
　〃That　was　a　funny　thing。　They　shoved　us　around　the　corner；　but　we　could　hear　them　prying　the　boxes　open　with　a　crowbar。　They　sounded　pretty　excited。　Then　there　was　this　silence；　and　next　we　heard　them　yelling。　It　sounded　like　an　argument。　Then　Pulaski　appeared　and　started　shouting　at　us　in　Russian；　like　whatever　happened　was　our　fault。　He　looked　real　angry；　but　I　think　he　was　a　little　scared。〃　Kreisman　glanced　around　the　room　and　got　nods　of　agreement　from　the　other　crewmen。
　
　〃No　indication　what　the　dustup　was　all　about？〃
　
　He　shook　his　head。　〃They　put　us　below；　and　when　they　brought　us　on　deck　again　it　was　night。　The　monster　sub　was　back。　There　was　a　ship　nearby；　too。　We　couldn't　see　in　the　dark；　but　it　sounded　like　a　big　one。　They　loaded　us　aboard　the　sub；　except　for　the　captain　and　pilot…same　first…class　acmodations。　We　traveled　underwater；　a　shorter　time　than　before。　When　we　were　allowed　out；　we　were　in　a　place　as　big　as　an　airplane　hangar。〃
　〃That　would　be　the　sub　pen。　What　happened　to　the　NR…1？〃
　〃We　don't　know。　It　was　still　tied　up　alongside　the　salvage　vessel　when　we　left。　The　captain　and　pilot　are　okay；　I　hope；〃　he　said　with　consternation。　〃Why　would　they　keep　us　prisoner　and　let　them　go？〃
　〃They　may　have　further　work　for　the　NR…1　or　simply　want　hostages。　What　happened　next？〃
　〃They　put　us　in　yet　another　bunk　room。　A　real　dump。　We　were　there　a　couple　of　days。　Bored　as　hell。　The　only　excitement　was　what　sounded　like　a　big　explosion　from　somewhere　below。〃
　〃They　were　sealing　the　entrance　to　the　sub　pen。〃
　〃Why　would　they　do　that？〃
　〃The　base　had　been　discovered；　and　they　wanted　to　make　sure　no　one　would　find　the　evidence。　The　big　sub　used　in　the　hijack　had　served　its　purpose。　I　wouldn't　be　surprised　if　they　planned　to　plug　the　surface　entrance　later。　Maybe　with　you　inside。　What　was　the　guard　situatio